Celebrate Ham Independence, Win La Quercia Pork!

As this great nation prepares to celebrate its own birthday, let us pause to consider one of the finest products on our fair soil: ham. American ham no longer hides in the long shadow cast by Spanish jamón and Italian prosciutto—no, homegrown producers like Iowa's La Quercia have proven that we, too, can make great artisanal ham.

La Quercia's Ham Independence holiday celebrates ham eater's freedom from the tyranny of foreign pork powers, and honors the ham makes who have a right and duty to expose new, real, local sources of ham deliciousness, made from the exceptional wholesomeness and bounty of America.

Ham-eaters, unite! And fill your bellies, of course, with American cured pork, specifically one pound each of La Querica's prosciutto americano and speck, plus a hammy t-shirt for good measure. To win, all you have to do is tell us what you're doing to celebrate ham independence in the comments below.

Contest will end and comments will close at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3 2013. One entry per community member. Winners must provide US mailing address. Standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.